IdN v23n4: Interactive Media and Installation — UX and UI

Interactive design lives and breathes by its viewers’ responses, be they emotional or physical. From its introduction in the mid-1980s as “interaction design”, which was largely confined to the industrial world, to its proliferation today using the short-hand terms UI (user interface) and UX (user experience), it has come to dominate the contemporary design scene — in the shape of everything from architecture and products to websites, video games, veejaying… and the crock of gold at the end of the design rainbow that is an application, or “app”.

In the following pages, no fewer than 54 cutting-edge interactive designers, apart from presenting their work, were asked to expand on what they consider to have been their most successful efforts so far. And in doing so, they reveal their thinking on the complex issue of how eternal design attributes — the deployment of typography and graphics to the best advantage — chime with the demands of usability.

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Hunt for the holy grail can be lucrative in itself

It would be impossible to count the number of apps presently in existence — it is being added to every day — but it must run into hundreds of thousands. Most of them have little practical use, but to stand any chance of hitting the jackpot, the design element is essential. Not necessarily in terms of looks, but in ease of use, or practicability.

Whether 2D or 3D, digital or analogue, it is a thorny issue. But the rewards, obviously, can be huge. Your chances of becoming the next multi-billionaire owner of a global phenomenon such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram are less likely than winning the lottery. But the space between these giants and the innumerable apps struggling to break even can still be extremely lucrative.

This is undoubtedly what drives so many ambitious young creatives. In their quest for the holy grail of an app that will become ubiquitous on laptops, mobile phones, tablets and the like, they are hoping at least to hit upon a niche market that will make the many hours of trial and error worthwhile. Be inspired!